Sinclair Community College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program uses a collaborative learning environment. This is intended to teach the ability to work in teams and to be goal oriented. Within this environment information is presented in a case-based format. Students are given carefully formulated problems, issues, and situations.They are asked to explore all aspects of the case through research within a small collaborative group. This promotes the ability to seek out appropriate learning resources, using the faculty as consultants as well as books, journals, online resources and other experts.

A significant part of the program is self-assessment. Students become proficient in assessing their individual learning progress and that of their peers.The ability to accurately monitor the adequacy of personal performance is essential to developing life-long self-directed study skills.The ability to provide colleagues with accurate feedback is an important skill in life and career.

Competencies that SCC’s OTA program promotes are:

·Adapting to and participating in change

·Dealing with problems, making reasoned decisions in unfamiliar situations

·Integrated - Subjects are not presented separately but within the context of real-life
situations and in relation to other topics.

·Cumulative - No subject or topic is studied in depth at any one time.Information is
reinforced repeatedly with increasing complexity whenever it is appropriate to
contribute to problem solving. Students achieve a growing familiarity through a
sequence of learning experiences that are relevant to the student’s goals.

·Progressive – Learning experiences and expectations change as the students mature.

·Consistent - Students learn for understanding, rather than for recall of isolated facts.They have many opportunities to apply what has been learned.

Important Information about Health Sciences Programs:The Health Sciences (HS) Programs consist of open enrollment courses (general education and division specific) and program specific courses with limited enrollment. The open enrollment courses may be taken prior to entry into the limited enrollment courses. To qualify for entry to limited enrollment courses, please see the program specific information packet located on each HS program's webpage.